BGC: The Beginning of the End
by A'Rion Larent
Summary: In the bustling city of Tokyo, two hearts sing out to each other. However, the rapture of the Boomers has yet to subside. Two warriors will realize the faults of their society as they struggle to come to terms with their inner desires.
1. Prologue: Wherefore art thou Woman

A/N: I do not own Bubblegum Crisis 2040, however I do own my OC. Please read and review.

BGC: The Beginning of the End

Prologue: Wherefore art thou Woman

I felt her arms wrap around me and it was then that I knew I had infiltrated her heart; it was then that I felt her flood me from within. In this tumultuous war of right and wrong, we had come together and sought strength in each other's eyes. She was my brunette warrior and I, her equivalent. I never asked for her love and she sought not for mine, yet by pain we have merged as one. One look into her steel-hard eyes and I found my peace and serenity. Long forgotten were the ideals of a society that had failed us from the start. With this in mind, I took her hand and raised it to my lips so that she might feel how I quivered too. We both as Goddesses of War put our arms to rest and waved a flag of red—to declare our passion was ablaze. The white flag we had burned in fear that we might fall back on it when we had been beaten and tired. I gave her my flag and she gave me hers, and in this exchange was a bridge constructed—a path from her heart to mine.

I placed my lips by the lobe of her ear and whispered "I have no wings on my back"; she replied "neither do I." Such a confession, I thought would shatter this dream, but she remained by my side—chocolate brown eyes and all. She would love me as no other could and I could love her in ways I never thought possible—all this I felt in her touch. "Why me?" She spoke in tremors as her body crashed into mine—finally an embrace! "Because you're my other half, yet I keep my identity as a whole." Her lips turned slightly so that a smirk appeared and she planted a small kiss on the crevice of my neck. She had melted my metal causing me to rely on her support to stand. Everything was as it should be as I stood here in perfect bliss, but all the while my heart felt uneasy and cried: "Wherefore art thou Woman, and wherefore art I the same?*"

*Allusion to Shakespeare: "Wherefore art thou Romeo…" basically Juliet asking why Romeo has to be from the rival family: Montague. Of course here it is used in a different setting, but asking the same kind of question. ^_^ hurray for literature!

PLEASE REVIEW


	2. Chapter 1: Palpable Desire

A/N: I've always wanted to write a fic that defied society's structures on love, and this anime provides the perfect opportunity to cause a stir. Even if you have no interest on relationships such as this, the story will include other themes as well. Read and Review my fellow readers ^_^

**BGC: The Beginning of the End**

Chapter I: Palpable Desire

The sound was raw; she could taste her passion on her tongue. The words she sung made her move and that's all it took. "I know that look in your eyes" a man's voice broke her concentration; "you're going to sign her, aren't you?" The woman smirked, gave a slight nod and made her way to leave—Sekira had a show tonight. "You know Rion; you could dress up a bit more. You just might make our label more appealing." The man chuckled as Rion threw him a distasteful look. "I'm not trying to seduce her, Ren." She shot back at him. "I'm just saying...you're a very attractive woman…when you want to be." He threw her, her riding jacket and helmet. "Good luck" he winked. She nodded in thanks and hurried down to the garage. Ren was by far the worst business partner but the best brother she could ask for. After her parents died in the earthquake, Ren had become her sole guardian and so far they had survived together. The hum of her bike filled her heart with peace as she straddled the seat. With no loss of time she revved the engine and made her way to the underground city—a place full of life and death.

As she parked in front of the bar she felt the gaze of the poster on the wall. "Priss…" she mouthed out the name as she looked into the painted eye full of power and passion. Within those eyes, Rion recognized a burning fire but also a certain void that made it seem hot and cold at once. She took off her helmet and noticed the bike parked next to hers. "Well at least you'll have good looking company." She patted her black Ducati as she admired the red beauty by hers—it looked custom made.

Before she could make it to the entrance, a pair of arms laced around her hips from behind. The smell of urine and alcohol filled the damp air, making Rion cringe in disgust. "Hey pretty lady, how about yous and—" He would've finished his sentence if Rio had granted him the pleasure, but she didn't. With a quick elbow to his face, the brute toppled over, falling on his likewise idiotic friends. She may be a woman alone, but that didn't mean she was a damsel in distress. Fending for herself had become an art that she had long since perfected. The bouncer grinned as he allowed Rion into the bar without any question—now here was a real woman.

The place was dark, slightly crowded but overall a cozy place. Rion took her place by the back wall as the band made its appearance. Like a wave of sound, Rion could feel the energy course through her as Sekira began to play. Priss' voice transformed simple lyrics into emotion and carried them to her audience—this was exactly what Rion had been looking for. As she lost herself in a world painted by another's voice, she felt a knot begin to form and pull within her. Rio felt a strange urge to be near Priss; to want to know her. She dismissed the strange urge and concluded it had to do with her job as a manager and Priss' role as a lead singer. Of course she'd be attracted to her musical talent.

Before she could get enough of the music, the show had concluded and the crowds were beginning to slowly thin out. Now was her chance to talk to Priss but strangely enough she felt frozen. 'What the hell…' Rion cursed as she felt anxiety and shyness build up. 'Damn it!' she watched as Priss and her band exited through the back. After her initial state of paralysis, Rion pushed off the wall quickly and exited with haste; there was always next time. Rion couldn't believe what had just happened—when had she ever been prone to such strong emotions? She emitted a slight growl of frustration as she made a motion to put her helmet on. A thud reverberated as a hand knocked Rion's helmet from her grasp. Her eyes pierced the man who had dared to assault her, and if looks could kill, he would have died a slow, painful death. "Did ya think you'd make a fool outta me…" his words slurred miserably. "Me and ma boys here are going ta teach you a lesson in manners!" He jabbed his finger at her. "I didn't know pigs could talk, much less teach." She pulled her glove down on her right hand and curled it into a fist. The battle ensued with the smashing of a beer bottle on the pavement. She dodged to and fro as they attacked her from every which way. With a sweep of her leg, she forced a man to lay flat on his back in a matter of seconds. However, even the mightiest warriors have their weaknesses, and thus Rion wasn't a candidate for being indestructible. Like the tail of a snake wrapped around the thin of her neck; she felt meaty hands rob her of the right to breath. "Ain't so tough now are ya?" The man let out his rancid laugh as she struggled to break free. Covertly, she reached for a blade of no mean size. Normally she would never resort to its use, but hell if she was going to let herself be slaughtered by a pig. She readied her hand to stab him, but before she could muster the courage she felt a sudden release. "You really shouldn't touch a woman like that." Rion recognized the face straight away—it was Priss. She looked up to see Priss standing nonchalantly as the other men scurried off, or lay unconscious on the floor due to Rion's earlier rage.

Rion brushed herself off as she picked up her discarded helmet. "I had it under control." She spoke with minor irritation, although inside she felt immense gratitude. "Didn't look like it." Priss huffed as she boarded her bike. "Thanks…anyways." Rion got on her bike and watched as Priss smirked. "You made quite a mess by yourself though…" Priss commented as she put her helmet on. "Bad habit." Rion smirked back and revved her engine. With that they both went their separate ways, each finding something different palpitating within.


	3. Chapter 2: Verse by Verse

A/N: Thanks to DarkPatu for your wonderful insight. As for the beginning of this chapter, I'd like to start off with a poem ^_^. I've always wanted to incorporate one, so might as well do it now.

BGC: The Beginning of the End

Chapter 2: Verse by Verse

She was hot and cold

At once, I was pulled and pushed

Away, she stood alone

In her world, I wished to be

With her, I found myself

Lost in confusion,

Desire and Her.

My sentences muddled

With words that slip

Free.

Priss sat still as Sylia droned on about the next mission the Knight Sabers were to carry out. She sighed as the meeting dragged on and peered sideways to see Nene as attentive as ever, which made her even more restless. Her mind kept flashing back to 2 nights ago—who was that girl? If she had really knocked all those men unconscious, then she was just the type of person Priss needed to fight by her side. She peered once more at Nene—for all her wits, Nene didn't exactly make the cut; she was more brains than brawn.

"You got it Priss?" Sylia raised an eyebrow at the aloof woman who didn't hide the fact that she was bored as hell.

"Yeah sure." Priss nodded and rose to leave. "I'll make sure to have my cell on if you locate any rogue boomers." She raised her hand to say goodbye and left without turning back—that meeting had been pointless.

If Sylia was going to keep calling her over to chat over their goals and accomplishments, Priss was going to try her hardest to be a no show. She could care less about Sylia's so called 'justice'; to her, being a Knight Saber, was just something she was good at—not an attempt to be a hero.

The cool night breeze picked up as she pulled up to her trailer home. As soon as she got in she pulled off her boots and threw herself on her bed. In the darkness, she closed her eyes and there she was again—that woman and her fiery nature. At first look, Priss had feared the worse for the woman as she took in the scene. Shattered glass and men lined the floor, but above all that was an atrociously fat man with a lean woman dangling in his hands. She looked so fragile as she hung in midair, and it was then that Priss took action. She let out a small grunt as she recalled how she had been thanked for her rescue; no one had dared to address her like that before. She would've gotten angry, but she had realized that she would have probably reacted the same way—damned pride.

'She had a nice bike…' Priss flashed back to beautiful machine that the mysterious woman had departed in. 'Damn, I got to stop thinking about her…' Priss groaned as she crushed a pillow to her face and drifted into an uneasy sleep.

"So are you going to talk about what happened 2 nights ago or what?" Ren looked over his sister as he cleaned up the last of her minor cuts.

He was horrified when she had returned lightly bruised and cut; most of the damage had been done to her neck.

"I'm telling you it was nothing." She muttered as she fidgeted on the dining table seat.

"Bull shit, tell me what happened." He wasn't taking no for an answer this time.

She drifted her eyes so they wouldn't meet his intense stare—why couldn't he just leave it alone? She hadn't been in any real danger, or so she thought. Those men were stupid and received far more damage than she had; she smirked at the thought that she had kicked their ass for the most part.

"I got in a disagreement with some guys." She smiled trying to pass it off as being a purely innocent dispute.

"They did this to you?" He slammed his hand on the table, startling his sister to a good degree.

"It's alright Ren, I'm not helpless…you know that." She kept her voice low as she witnessed the rage shake her brother's usually calm demeanor.

"It's not enough Rion!" He shouted as he glared down at her. As her eyes filled with fear, Ren felt guilt build up and shook his head in disgust at himself. What was he doing taking his anger out on her? She had been the victim after all. "I'm sorry… it's just if something ever happened to you…" He choked on the words as the pain of loss infected his senses—losing his parents had taken a great deal from him. Rion stood up and hugged her big brother.

"I met Priss; she actually helped me take care of the swine." She decided to change the subject. "She's just what our label needs." Ren held his sister and felt his calm return.

"So you signed her?" He broke the embrace and sat down as a normal conversation ensued. Rio shifted uncomfortably as yet another untouchable subject had come up without her intention.

"Not exactly, no." She groaned as she dropped her forehead to the table. Ren laughed at his sister's dramatic character—she always seemed so tough on the outside, but she was a klutz deep down inside.

"Why not?" He asked. She looked up, letting her black tresses cover her eyes.

"I'm not sure…I got…" she wanted to say she got butterflies in her stomach, but what kind of answer was that? "I got nervous."

He looked at her suspiciously—she never was one to let anything get on her nerves. He focused his eyes on her, watching as she kept her cool but suddenly her brow quirked and he knew she was lying.

"Ha!" He pointed to her eyebrow "You're lying!" She clenched her teeth as she shrugged off the accusation and made her way to another room. "Awww come on, tell me what really happened; did she reject you?" He teased her from behind as she refused to face him. "Told you; you should've dressed up." He quickly dodged a boot that had come flying towards his face.

"Goodnight Ren!" Rion shouted as she slammed her bedroom door on his face. He snickered with delight and left for his room completely light-heart as could be.

Rion lay in bed, letting her bare flesh mingle with the soft linens that littered her mattress. It brought her heart joy to hear Ren's laughter ring as he walked away, but his earlier outburst had put an acute sense of fear within her. His temper had been an issue ever since Rion had achieved the proper definition of curves according to her male based society. It wasn't so much that he was afraid she'd use her voluptuous nature for wrong-doing, but that someone would target her for it. Unfortunately he had been correct in his train of thought. She _had _been hassled a numerous amount of times, but that was exactly the reason she had taken self-defense classes early on. She smirked as she viewed the wall across from her bed—all her black belts in various martial arts were lined with precision.

'I CAN take care of myself.' Rion assured herself as she closed her eyes letting sleep take her as a guest.

Priss entered the highly refined shop with caution; the last time she had come in here by choice, Sylia had bombarded her with fashion advice. Priss didn't loathe fashion, however she did loathe the thought of centering an entire conversation on it. Her gaze went to and fro, catching a curious gaze from the other customers once or twice, but she couldn't find the white-haired vixen. She stopped at a stand and let her fingers graze a silky red dress—the texture slid gracefully against her flesh.

"That would look nice on you." Priss snapped her attention as she heard Sylia's voice from behind her.

"I have to talk to you." Priss began before Sylia could get carried away. "I found another member."

"Someone you believe to be on par with you?" Sylia stood, astounded by Priss' sudden claim.

"Most likely."

"If she caught your eye, I have no doubts. Bring her by tonight and we'll test her out." Sylia smiled, a strange twinkle in her eye and departed to the next customer that caught her sight.

Priss sighed with relief, that was easier than she had originally thought—no lectures, no small talk; just the way she preferred it to be.

"Today I won't let it happen again…" Rion shaped her hand into a fist, took a deep breath and entered the bar.

She grinned sheepishly as the bouncer, who seemed to recall her from the last time she had visited, let her in with a small salute. She took the same spot in the back and lurked in the shadows. As Sekira got ready to perform, Priss quickly scanned over the audience—was she here? She dismissed the notion from her head and let the song ensure from her lips. Rion listened with an open heart but something felt different—the words no longer struck a chord from within. Rion opened her eyes and found that Priss looked anxious and distracted as she performed. The music was still good, but it wasn't as passionate as it had been at first.

As the show came to an end, Rion headed out back where she had seen Priss' bike parked. Once again the strange dread and hope, that plagued her nerves last time, threatened to defer her from her goal.

"Hey…" A familiar voice cut through Rion's struggle—it was Priss.

"Good show, though you seemed a bit out of it." Rion commented coolly as she regained her composure. "I've been watching you…" Rion choked on her words as she realized how strange they had come out.

Priss' brows furrowed as her face became flustered with embarrassment for them both which caused Rion to slightly blush. Before things could get worse, Rion coughed and continued to speak.

"Sorry that came out wrong. What I meant to say was that I've been scouting your band and I'm interested in signing you guys." Rion scoured Priss' face for any sign of a positive reaction and found it—a small smirk.

"What's your label called?" Priss asked.

"Blackheart Records—" Priss' eyes widened at Rion's response.

"Don't you guys usually go after bigger fish?"

Rion shrugged with a grin, "You could say that, but I want someone with more grit; more life—that's you." Rion's manager side began to prevail and the tension was beginning to dissipate. "I want your music to reach the masses."

The mass of joy forming within Priss threatened to tear the seams of her usually calm demeanor and suddenly it hit her—how could she have not noticed before? Her grew eyes, midnight tresses and tone physique—she was the head manager: Rion Kirijo. Rion's smile faltered as Priss stood before her speechless and somewhat dumbstruck.

"Hey are you ok?" Rion waved her hands in front of Priss' face.

Priss began to chuckle at the thought of Rion Kirijo becoming a Knight Saber and fighting off rogue Boomers. This amazon of the music industry suddenly turned Boomer exterminator—what were the chances of her saying yes?

"I have a proposition: if you can catch me, then you can have me." Priss revved her engine and took off before Rion could object.

"Fine by me…" Rion said with a smirk while quickly hopping onto her bike and took chase.

Priss leaned into the curve as she rounded a corner, taking notice that Rion was right behind her. She weaved through traffic with an ease that seemed unreal—the light blurred by like shooting stars. Rion kept on her tail which surprised Priss a great deal—someone had finally managed to stick with her. Priss eagerly pulled in to Sylia's parking lot and took off running for the doors—she now knew that Rion would chase her whether on bike or foot. Rion followed with an unwavering determination, but it did confuse her to some degree why Priss would run into a fashion boutique at this hour of the night. She saw as Priss entered a room to the left and quickly made her way to the same location, but much to her confusion she was nowhere to be found. Rion crossed her arms and looked around with mild annoyance—what kind of game had she agreed to play?

"You said catch you… not find you." Rion muttered as she looked at the lone mirror in the room.

Without really having any motivation or reason for doing so, she approached the mirror and lightly tapped it. With a slight jump back she watched as it moved to reveal an elevator box.

"What the hell…" She said as she entered it, and before she could make up her mind whether or not she was on the right path, the doors shut behind her.

She waited as it took her lower, below the facility she had once believed to be a mere boutique. She sighed as she wondered what she had gotten herself into this time; this surely had never happened to her before while trying to sign a band. Her eyes flashed opened as she reached the bottom and the doors slid open—there stood Priss, confident smirk and all.

"Is this what you do to music managers trying to sign you? I'm guessing most of them fail." Rion sighed as she placed a hand to her forehead in mock fatigue.

A slight chuckle that did not emanate from Priss caused Rion to look past her. "She has a sense of humor; I think I like that." Sylia commented as she made herself known.

Rion stood still as she tried her best to assess the situation she had walked into.

"Hello Rion, I'm Sylia Stingray, Priss has told me a great deal about you." Sylia extended her hand out to Rion for a handshake.

"Is that so?" Rion raised her eyebrow as she shook the woman's hand.

"That's not exactly the way I would put it." Priss shook her head as a feint blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Either way, it seems our Priss here has taken notice of you, and now I see why—you're a beautiful woman." Sylia lightly grazed her finger against the length of Rion's cheek, causing Rion to gulp slightly.

"What's that have to do with—" Rion kept her cool but couldn't help but feel a bit strange.

"Cut the crap Sylia," for some reason, Priss found Sylia's demonstration of affection to annoy her greatly. "Have you ever heard of the Knight Sabers?" Priss redirected the conversation.

Sylia lightly laughed as she caught a hint of jealousy in Priss' commands, but allowed for the shift of power—Rion would indeed be able to make use of the suits.

"Somewhat, but nothing of depth." Rion admitted.

"That would be thanks to me!" Nene piped up as she felt it was her time to shine.

Priss sighed, knowing this wasn't the way she had planned to offer Rion a position, but continued anyways. "Anyways, I'd like for you to join; you've already shown me you can fight." Priss smirked as she pointed to her own forehead—the location that Rion had also managed to cut up three nights ago.

"Join the Knight Sabers?" Rion had to make sure she was hearing what she thought she was.

"Correct, we're not a myth, but we do have to take measures in order to remain undetected." Sylia stepped in again. "If you like, we can show you a bit of what we do." She offered, seeing that Rion wasn't fully trusting of their proposition.

Rion closed her eyes, smirked and opened them again.

"What the hell; might as well put my fighting to good use."

Priss smiled softly at her answer, while Nene pouted.

"However," Rion looked straight at Priss "I still expect you to sign with me." She grinned as Priss nodded in affirmation—the deal was complete.

The team spent the rest of that night familiarizing Rion with the suit specs and rogue Boomers. Rion cringed as she saw scenes of horror play out before her—she had never seen a Boomer transform into a monster. Her line of industry often required certain types of Boomers to fulfill some secretarial roles, but her brother had always objected to the norm. All their workers had thus been human so far. Rion had never pushed for the reasons as to why he objected the Boomer's presence, but perhaps he had known more of their nature than she did. In all truth, Rion couldn't hate Boomers even if she tried. As far as she knew, they hadn't harmed her, the way humans had. However, as she watched the tapes, she began to wonder what exactly Boomers were—how could a robot go rogue?

Priss kept a keen eye on Rion as she examined the footage. While the gruesome images might have frightened some, Rion didn't seem to be fazed by any of it. In fact, Priss could have misread her expression, but she looked somewhat saddened. Did she feel pity for the Boomers? Priss wondered as she kept analyzing her reactions. Sylia stood in the back, slightly chuckling under her breath—Priss looked like a child who had just received a puppy. In her own, tough way she had become smitten with the newest member; watching her out of interest of reaction.


	4. Chapter 3: As I Am

Disclaimer: I do not own Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040, simply put.

BGC: The Beginning of the End

Chapter 3: As I Am

Nigel diligently worked his hands and tools as he configured the suit for the newest member of the Knight Sabers. He muttered under his breath as a sudden shock zapped his finger and caused him to flinch. Without so much as caution he kept at his work and disregarded the delay. This machine, though in some ways he regarded it as his child, would be used with or without his permission. He sighed as he knowingly forfeited his responsibility. A sudden shuffle of metal doors let him know that the elevator had just come down, but he didn't bother to see who it was—it was probably Sylia, coming down to make him feel awkward.

"Oh sorry, I had no idea anyone was down here." It wasn't Sylia.

Nigel kept his gaze to his machine, not wanting to acknowledge whoever had come down. It was better not to know the face that would soon be in his machine.

"Wow, so this is it…" Rion came up by him and looked over the suit. "She's beautiful."

He stopped his work and looked up at her curiously.

"What makes you think it's a girl?"

"Body type, I guess." She shrugged unsure of how to answer his question. "You must be Nigel."

He nodded and went straight back to his work.

Rion took this as her queue to leave him alone, but stayed to admire the suit she would soon be in control of. The black sheen of the metal glistened with finesse—it sure looked like a formidable weapon. She had only used the simulation to get a feel for it, but she couldn't wait to actually get a feel for her own suit.

"Priss said you work on bikes too; mind if I have you look at mine when you're all done? He needs a quick tune up." She smiled and walked back towards the elevator.

"Do you often engender machines?" He asked while keeping his gaze on the suit.

She stopped and paused to think—it was just something she was used to doing.

"For those I have affection towards, yes." She stated with a simplicity that caused something within Nigel to tug and pull.

He smiled back at her and nodded once in understanding. At that moment, Sylia descended and stood still as she noticed the smile on Nigel's lips; almost as quickly as she saw his smile, it returned to his usual nonchalant frown. Sylia looked towards Rion for clarification but only found a confident smile.

"Hey Sylia, you alright?" Rion took notice of Sylia's silence.

"I'm sorry." Sylia snapped out of her mildly suspicious trance and put on her sales face—the one she used to please customers. Nigel hated that face and tone of voice she used—he wished she would just express what she was really feeling. "I see you've met Nigel; he's the only man I trust with the suits."

"He's really good with his hands." Rion commented without giving too much thought to her words, but soon realized how awfully used they were.

Sylia bit on her lip as she refrained from breaking out in exclamation, and Nigel dropped his wrench letting a clink reverberate throughout the building.

"In respect to machines…of course." Rion hurriedly said as she made her way towards the elevator. "Anyways, I just came to say that I can't make it today and neither can Priss. We're having a conference today." She jammed her finger on the elevator button, pressing it several times until the doors finally closed.

As soon as it was on its way up, Rion stamped her foot onto the floor—she always made such a fool of herself. Back at the lower level, Nigel coughed as he resumed his work.

"She's beautiful isn't she?" Sylia spoke with a hint of venom and truth. "Just my type."

He refused to respond, and bit his tongue to refrain from laughing—that girl had used the wrong words at the wrong time. He sped up his work and began to pack his tools as he completed his endeavor.

"I used some new ideas for this suit; hopefully she'll be able to handle it." He let his monotone voice flow.

"If I were younger we'd be such a formidable team." Sylia reminisced.

"You shouldn't push yourself." Nigel said with a wave of his hand, signaling his departure.

"It's because you care about me, right Nigel?" She let her eyes rest on him.

He kept his cool as he gave a slight nod and boarded the elevator—those eyes had the potential to turn him to dust if he let them. He could literally feel her yearning, her desire, but he was in no shape to handle any of that. He could hardly handle his own life, much less that of someone he should care for.

Priss had informed the band of their recent stroke of luck and much to her joy they had agreed to the signing. However, none of them wanted to deal with the technicalities of the partnership and decided that it was Priss' job, as lead singer, to handle it. She sighed as she stood at the door of the Blackheart Record studio. She entered and was immediately met with a tall, slender young man with hazel eyes.

"You must be Priss." He shook her hand and grinned. "My sister really wasn't joking about your killer looks."

Priss blushed and furrowed her brows.

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I'm Ren Kirijo by the way—assistant producer."

"I didn't know Rion had a brother." Priss stated flatly as he led her towards the elevators.

"That would be Rion for you… never acknowledging her older siblings." He pouted as he pushed the button labeled '24'. "I don't really deal with the public much either, so I'm not surprised you haven't heard of me." He concluded as the elevator began to go up.

The awkward silence that ensued drove Priss insane as she leered at the elevator numbers—they were going way too slow. She tapped her foot out of habit and let that preoccupy her attention. Ren peered at her from the corner of his eyes and noticed how much she reminded him of his younger sister. She had the same intimidating air and independent aura that Rion possessed—he smiled at the fact that they would make a good team.

"Here we are." He let Priss walk out first.

Priss was stunned by the floor they had disembarked on—it looked nothing like a management area. Instead she found herself stepping into a home—a well lavished home.

"I'm guessing Rion didn't tell you she lives here." Ren took notice of her minor confusion. "We live on different floors, and the offices are located below as well as the meeting rooms but since you're a personal friend of hers, she decided it would be ok to be a bit informal." Ren explained as he directed her towards the dining room.

"It's no problem." Priss assured him as she took a seat at the dining table—it was pure oak; polished to perfection.

"Damn it!" A shout came from the kitchen and Ren sighed as he massaged the temples of his head. He had told her it would be easier if they just ordered food to be brought up, but she insisted on cooking.

"She also decided she was going to cook for you." Ren winked at her and elicited a slight blush from the brunette singer.

"Alright I'm done." Rion came bursting in; slight moist clung to her skin from the heat of the kitchen, her tank top mildly stuck to her skin and her spandex-like shorts hardly left room for the imagination. "Ah, you're here!" She exclaimed as she tried her best to compose herself. "Sorry, I had a minor delay, but I'll be right back." Priss set a steady gaze on her as she retreated to what she assumed were the restrooms.

"Honestly she's never like this—not around company anyways." Ren chuckled at his sister's disarray, but kept his gaze on Priss. "Rion tells me you're a fighter as well."

"What of it?" her usual brass, defensive-self came through.

"Thanks for helping her out; I'm not always able to be there for her." He kept his easy smile on even in the face of her cold demeanor.

"She seems capable of taking care of herself." Priss remarked as she recalled the night they had met.

He put on a sad smile as he reminisced on how he had lost his anger when Rion had said the same thing. "So we all are, until we finally break."

She kept her gaze on him, taking in his sorrowful expression but didn't know what to make of it. Rion walked in her usual attire—tight, black rider pants, a white corset and a mid-length leather jacket.

"We'll talk a bit before I bring the food out." Rion smiled as she took a seat by Priss. "It needs time to cool down."

"I had no idea you were making dinner." Priss felt guilty for eating before she came here.

"Don't tell me you already—"Sudden embarrassment took over Rion as she realized that she hadn't even thought of that possibility.

"Uhh…no, not exactly…" Priss stuttered, unused to lying to please someone.

"You two are hopeless." Ren chuckled as he brought out various forms. "Anyways I'm guessing we should get the technicalities over with." He handed Priss a pen.

Rion and Priss nodded as they collected themselves; Rion began to explain the policies that came with signing with Blackheart Records and what the band would be entitled to. The Kirijo family had built a vast empire in the last 5 years and managed everything from Tokyo—their headquarters was both home and work for them. Each level was a different level of production: recording studios, sounds labs, meeting rooms, offices, and Rion's own home were all located within the complex.

'What is it with me and mega rich people?' Priss thought back to Sylia's enterprise. 'However, at least this business makes sense to me.' She scratched her signature on the papers.

"Alright, can't wait to work with your sound." Rion smugly collected the papers and put them into a file—this was the band she had her heart set on. "And now for dinner." She gracefully exited the dining room and entered the kitchen.

Rion set the plates out for each member of the dining table and put what was left in the middle. Priss took in the picturesque curry and rice that graced her vision. Usually she just made herself a sandwich or some other simple meal, but nothing quite as savory as this.

"Good as always, sis. You should cook more often." Ren commented as he scarfed away at his food.

"I only cook when I want to; it's not my job to feed you anyways." She threw back at him in jest.

Priss chuckled as she observed the relationship between the two siblings. She had never had any siblings, but from what she could tell these two seemed pretty close. Each of them helped themselves to several more helpings of Rion's cooking. Priss felt shoulders settle and her posture slip as she sat in her seat.

"I'll leave you two at it; I have to wake up early tomorrow." Ren stood up to leave and saluted his goodbye.

"Goodnight brother." She waved him goodbye.

Priss slightly waved as she watched him depart, but waited until he left to speak to Rion.

"Does he know?" Priss asked Rion.

"No… he wouldn't approve." Rion replied knowing full well what Priss was talking about. "He hates it when I "put" myself in danger."

"I see…" Priss rose to leave. "Thanks for dinner." She said somewhat bashfully.

"Uh, no problem." Rion wasn't used to having someone praise her sincerely. "You're on your way too?" Rion took out two beers from the small bar next to the dining table. "Care for one?"

Priss smiled and took the ice cold beverage in her hands. "Sure."

"I don't usually drink with anyone, but I can't be too bad of a drinking partner." Rion shrugged as she opened both of their bottles.

Priss watched as Rion raised the bottle to her lips, letting them rest gently on the rim of the bottle. She seemed completely at peace and this let Priss let down her guard. She sat on the stool next to Rion and took a swig of the alcohol—it warmed her throat as it made its way down her throat.

"Priss what do you fight for?" Rion asked as she swirled the alcohol in the bottle with a gyration of her wrist.

Priss took another drink of alcohol before she emitted a deep sigh. "It's just something I'm good at… I'm not defending justice or any crap like that."

"I never said you were." Rion chuckled as she took into account how easily Priss could get on edge. "I'm not so naïve as to believe in justice as something that can be defended… I was just wondering what your motives were. I feel out of place not knowing why I joined the Knight Sabers… though I do have a reason, sort of…" Rion trailed off in her speech as she listened to the silence that ensued.

Priss wasn't used to wanting to 'know' anything about anyone, but she wished that Rion would reveal her reason for joining. The yearning for her answer was foreign to Priss but strangely enough she wasn't surprised by it. She had unwillingly been watching Rion every chance she had, and even when she was not in her presence, Rion still managed to crop up in her head. It was unnerving and sometimes caused Priss to curse out loud which had scared quite a bit of bystanders when out in public. It was getting out of hand: the more she tried to ignore her fixation, the more vibrant it appeared.

"What's your reason?" Priss calmly asked as her mind rushed forward.

Rion smiled as she broke the silence. "Perhaps it's because you remind me of everything I cherish in myself as a woman, yet at the same time you are everything I have never known." Rion placed her empty bottle on the bar counter, and let her hand cup Priss' face. She looked at Priss' stunned features—god was she beautiful. Her pale skin, magnificently fierce eyes and sharp features drew Rion in. She saw as her hand gently caressed her partner's face, and reveled in the softness—it reminded her of untouched snow. Just as quickly as she had drawn near Priss, she snapped out of her trance and pulled her hand back.

"I'm so sorry…" Rion put her hand over her mouth in mortification and turned away from Priss who had stood still. "I guess I'm a bad drinking partner after all." Rion smirked and let her cool façade reign over her once more. "Let me walk you down; it's the least I can do." Rion put on her coat and turned towards Priss.

Priss looked hard at the woman before her: why had she not retaliated against her actions? Usually Priss had no problem when it came to shutting out any displays of affection, but this time she had been rendered immobile. Could it have been because Rion was a woman? However, she wouldn't have been the first female to approach her in such a way—her band members were correct in saying that Priss attracted more girl fans than men—but then why? She shuddered at the possibility that maybe she wanted to see what would happen next; what she might feel. She grabbed her jacket and followed Rion out the door. The silence between them became suffocating and Priss felt a deep sense of anxiety unfurl within her.

"Rion…" Priss grabbed the girl by her wrist and stopped her unusually fast pace towards the main entrance. "Hold up." She kept her hand wrapped around her wrist. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Rion cocked her eyebrow.

"Don't play stupid; you know what I'm talking about?" Priss felt Rion try to break free from her grasp but wasn't going to be so easily evaded.

"It was a minor slip up." Rion muttered as she took on a smirk. "I had too much to drink, so think nothing of it. It won't happen again; I'm your manager after all." She forced her hand out of Priss' grip and resumed her walk towards the door—this was getting out of hand.

"Stop it." Priss grabbed her wrist once more and pulled her back. "Stop doing whatever the hell it is you're doing!" She tightened her grip.

"What's your problem?" Rion glared into Priss' eyes with just as much flare but Priss caught the tiniest hint of sorrow within them.

"I'm confused too…" Priss whispered as she let go of Rion's wrist and looked down at the floor.

Rion's icy heart shattered as Priss' soft words reverberated in her ears. She placed her hands on Priss' shoulders and drew her into an embrace—perhaps this time putting on a façade wasn't the best choice she had.

"I never meant to confuse you." Rion sighed as she felt Priss do the same. "But I've never felt this way, and…" She looked at Priss as she pulled away from the embrace. "I wasn't sure if this was right." She blushed as she tore her gaze away from Priss' curious stare.

"I'm willing to find out." Priss grinned as she walked away with a dismissive wave.

Rion froze as Priss' voice echoed in her head once more—had she heard correctly? Rion chuckled as she watched the warrior walk away and knew she had lost this battle while Priss had left victorious. It didn't bother her so much, losing to her and in a way she felt a weight lifted from her shoulders.

Author's End Note: So that's that! I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've just had them saved on the comp and I completely forgot to publish them. Alright well by now you all know what direction this is going in. Interested in hearing your comments: good and bad.


	5. Chapter 4: White Flag

BGC: The Beginning of the End

Chapter 4: White Flag

Sylia sighed as she stared at the suits that had been completed—only Priss' remained incomplete. Daily she lived with the paranoia that she wouldn't be prepared for the next mad boomer; that she would be defeated by the abominations she had helped to create. Nigel was going to have to work faster—without Priss their force was missing a vital component. Unsure of Rion's ability to fight, Sylia fretted about the possibility of an attack. An ominous feeling loomed about and Sylia knew her forecast for today was appearing to be overcast.

As she emitted a sigh the alarm rang overhead, and the blearing siren confirmed her worst fears—a mad boomer had appeared at a local restaurant. A mild sweat broke out across her brow as she bit her lower lip and slammed her hand on the coffee table she had been resting on. She immediately called up the girls. First she dialed Priss, but all that she got was hollow rings and no answer.

'Damn! Why doesn't she answer when it's important?' Sylia silently cursed as she redialed and received no answer.

Next she dialed Nene and immediately was greeted with an energetic voice. She relayed the situation as she hurried to the trailer mobile they used as their transportation. Before she could dial Rion's number a motorcycle pulled up to the vehicle.

"Had a feeling you'd be calling soon." Rion smirked and hopped on board. Sylia was taken aback but smiled warmly and suddenly that knot of wretched worry began to ease.

"Are you ready?" Sylia looked at the girl with an intense gaze—this would be Rion's first time in battle.

"Is anyone really ready for this…" Rion sighed as she realized that there were only two suits in wait. "But hell, I'll give it all I've got." Her grin reassured the white haired beauty. "Where's Priss?"

"I'm not sure, she won't answer…" Her phone began to ring. "Hello? Priss, you're already at the sight… your suits not ready. I know, but this is the perfect opportunity to let Rion…she'll be fine." Sylia hung up the phone with a cold kind of tact that made Rion shudder slightly.

"Priss is already there?"

"So it would seem. It's best if we go get Nene and head to the sight as soon as possible. She'll be fine." She reiterated and began to drive towards Nene's apartments.

Rion let her thoughts whirl inside her head as she examined Sylia's strange expression. She seemed at once frightened, worried, and anxious yet excited—an altogether fearful combination. She had been through the simulations enough times, and according to the results Rion would be well accustomed to her suit. She let her uniform meld with her skin as a clumsy Nene practically entered flying into the vehicle.

"You always call at the worst times." Nene whined as she dropped her bath towel and began to put on her uniform. She turned to Rion "don't be nervous everything should go just fine."

"I'm not nervous." Rion replied and made her way to her suit. "I am curious though."

"I wasn't nervous on my first mission either…" Nene would have continued if Sylia hadn't rushed them both towards their suits and readied to launch them.

Meanwhile Priss ran up the stairs as a multitude of bodies rushed in the opposite direction. She felt the rush of the whole as they pushed her back, but knew she'd make it past them one way or another. She didn't blame them for running from a mad boomer but at the same time the manner in which they fled was disgustingly cowardly.

"So there you are." Priss spotted the boomer and was disturbed by its shape. "Damn, if only I had my suit." She balled her hand into a fist. She dodged sideways as it whipped its mechanized tongue at her. She picked up an iron pipe that was just lying on the ground and decided it would have to do for now. She hit it and rolled back, cursing as it seemed unfazed.

"Don't worry miss, just come this way…" A man's voice derailed her train of thought. She looked at the AD policeman and threw him a distasteful glance. Before she could give him the satisfaction of feeling like a hero she ran towards the stairs. He held her eyes for a moment and seemed allured by them—they were so intense and without fear. His partner began to chuckle as he stared after her half dumbstruck.

"Hey Leon we still have to worry about the boomer." He jested as he tapped his partner on the shoulder.

"I, I know!" Leon shook himself free of the hold she had unknowingly bestowed on him "I was just making sure she got out okay."

He couldn't help but chuckle at Leon but focused as the boomer reared its ugly head towards them. Leon snapped out of it and repositioned his gun. He shot once, twice but nothing seemed to pierce through.

"Damn…" Leon muttered but wasn't finished yet.

Before he could move on to his bigger guns the windows broke as two Knight Sabers blasted through them. Leon cursed at their appearance but his partner was more astute and took in the newest addition to the force—a sleek, black fighter.

"Well she's new." He commented.

Rion took one look at the boomer and had a hard time believing this was once a serving boomer—a product to be of the lowest class. She charged forward, jumped as it lashed its tongue at her and landed gracefully behind it. Her hand plunged within its core and at that moment she felt pity for the machine she was about to destroy. What could cause anything to go this crazy; to be so destructive? It haunted her to wonder, and she had a feeling it was her own race that had caused the disturbance of another.

"What are you doing?" A voice blared in her head as she realized she was no longer the one in control of the situation.

"Argh!" Rion shouted in frustration as the boomer's arms pulled her closer to its own body. "What the hell? I can't move!"

"Oh no she's on empty!" Nene frantically exclaimed. "I'll take care of it!" She pointed her arm and shot her tiny charges of energy spikes at the creature, but to no avail.

It whipped her back and sent her flying. As she came crashing down another whoosh in the air could be heard, and as Nene came to, she realized that Priss had arrived.

Priss charged with ferocity that Nene had never really witnessed before. Sure, Priss often times dealt with the destroying of boomers but never had she been so passionate about it. Priss punched her arm forward and pulled the core out without a second thought. Rion felt her suit fall into Priss' arms, and suddenly she felt ill—she had failed to do what Priss had done with such ease.

"Let's go." Priss commanded as she carried Rion's suit with Nene's help.

"Seems like the game's changed a bit." Leon's partner commented as Leon fumed and scowled at the arriving police force—what good were they now?

"They're still a pain in the ass; now they're triple that." Leon muttered as he headed down, knowing their work was done for the day.

As the trio of warriors plus Sylia ventured back to their hideout, Rion remained in a somber silence. Priss' own expression was slightly harder to read. Nene wasn't sure, but it looked like Priss was a bit angry. She understood why Rion would feel a bit dismayed—being held in a vice grip by a boomer wasn't exactly the most heart-warming welcome she could have received at the start of her knight saber career.

"What the fuck were you thinking about?" Priss hissed to the various team members.

"She was ready, so" Sylia immediately began to justify her actions.

"I wasn't talking to you." Priss abruptly cut her off and took hold of Rion's shoulders.

Rion peeled her gaze from the floor and looked Priss in the eyes—she was raging on the inside. Rion knew the question was directed at her, but the question was an altogether more confusing subject in itself. Why had she stopped? What had held her back from crushing the boomer's heart?

"I'm not sure." Rion replied calmly as she kept Priss' intense stare with her own steady gaze. "I felt… remorse." She couldn't find the right words to explain her emotions towards the corrupted boomer.

"Remorse?" Priss spat as she let her hand slam against the wall. "You could have died!" Priss began to tremble with emotion.

Rion's eyes slightly widened in surprise—was that why Priss was so furious? She stood and held the trembling woman in her arms. Priss resisted at first but Rion had a strong grip, and eventually she gave in.

"I'm sorry…" Rion took in the scent of earth from Priss' mane of hair. "I wasn't thinking straight."

"You're such an idiot." Priss muttered as she subconsciously relaxed in the embrace.

"Awwwkward…" Nene said as she sat right next to the two women.

Rion chuckled as she let go of Priss and turned to look at Nene. Without warning Rion pulled her into a childish bear hug.

"And thanks for buying Priss some time!" Rion messed with Nene's hair before releasing her. "What good are those little beams for anyways?" Rion jested as she mimicked Nene's fighting stance. "But really Nene, thanks, you saved my life."

"Hey I'm not a kid ya know." Nene muttered but smiled—she had finally been appreciated to some extent. "I'm just happy you're ok."

Priss watched in mild amusement and sat back down on her seat, but her smile faded as soon as she caught Sylia's strange smirk and wandering eyes. She was watching Rion, Priss had no doubt of that, but with what intent? Sylia had never paid much attention to anyone except for Nigel, and the gaze of which she now bestowed on Rion was much like the one she reserved for her boy toy. It boded ill for Priss as she continued to watch Sylia.

As soon as they returned back to the base, Sylia excused everyone.

"Good work today, we'll have a meeting tomorrow so you're free to go." Priss began to walk towards the elevator, keeping Rion near her—there was something she had to tell her. "Rion, may I have a word with you." Rion held back, took a glance at Sylia and nodded in affirmation.

"I'll meet you up top." Rion pointed to the ceiling as she addressed Priss.

Priss gave a slight nod and quickly entered the elevator. Sylia watched intently as their interaction came to an end. It was curious to see Priss taking orders from someone else, but more than that she was agreeing to them. Sylia smiled as she motioned Rion to sit on her couches.

"I'm sorry about today Sylia…" Rion apologized full-heartedly.

"Don't worry about it; it's always hard your first time at it. I have no doubts you'll do just fine the next time." Sylia observed Rion's dark features and how the glow of her basement aquarium enhanced them. "What's your relationship with Priss?" She decided to be blunt was better than beating around the bush.

"As of now I'm her manager…and fighting partner." Rion cocked her eyebrow, unsure of what Sylia was asking.

"I only ask because I have never seen her so emotionally provoked." Sylia placed her hand gently on Rion's cheek. "And you are the only one I've ever seen that has the ability to both reason and command her."

Rion politely took Sylia's hand off of her face. "I don't command her at all; if anything she's the one pulling at my strings, or who knows maybe we pull on each other's strings, but let's get this straight—she's no puppet and neither am I." She looked at Sylia, holding her silver eyes with her own brown ones. "Why do you care?"

"I'm not exactly sure." Sylia chuckled as she let her hand freely flow through Rion's midnight locks of hair. "You both are special to me; I wouldn't want either of you to get hurt."

Rion stood up and placed herself a good distance from Sylia. "I'll let you know how it goes then. Look Sylia, I've met people like you being in the career that I've taken up. You're endowed with beauty, money and intellect—don't go wasting it trying to take what you don't even want. Figure out what your heart really beats for… it's not me." Rion quickly entered the elevator and jammed the button with her finger.

Sylia bit her lip and sulked on her couch. Rion was right… Sylia groaned as she realized the darkness in her heart, but even so she couldn't purge her wants. Priss had always been able to talk to Nigel in a way that she couldn't; Nigel even sometimes replied—that was more than Sylia could get out of him. Sylia was attracted to Priss at first because of her differing nature with both men and women—she seemed to be a gender all her own. Nigel seemed to notice this as well, and though he wasn't completely open with her, he didn't treat her with as much negligence as he did towards herself. It was this thought that had caused Sylia to notice the relationship between Priss and Rion; to notice that Priss finally cared about someone. A small part of her was naturally attracted to Rion, but what had pushed her over the edge was the chance to take something that Priss had wanted, so that she too could feel the pain. In her twisted life, Nigel was the only normal thing she could attest to having. She scowled at herself, realizing how selfish she was thinking and vowing to change, but a whisper inside her head told her she was far from any such enlightenment.

Rion sighed as she exited at the top floor—Sylia wasn't the first person to approach her like that, but she certainly was one of the most beautiful people to have done so. If she had been of any weaker integrity, Sylia would have gotten what she wanted. Rion scouted ahead and found Priss waiting impatiently tapping her foot.

"What did she want?" Priss asked as Rion neared her.

"She was worried about my slip up today." For some reason Rion didn't want to tell Priss the truth, fearing it might make matters worse.

"She needed you alone for that?" Priss looked at Rion suspiciously.

"Why are you so suspicious?" Rion decided to turn the tables. "I feel like I'm caught in a triangle I didn't even know existed. If so, I'll have you know I'm more of a line person: with you on one end, me on the other, and no other."

Priss blushed as she picked up the implications. "That's not what I meant…" She muttered but couldn't help but let a small smile escape.

"Then what did you mean?" Rion placed her face near Priss' and held her position firmly.

Priss was enthralled by her sudden movements, by the fresh scent of her skin and the dark features of her hair and lined eyes. Something within her urged her to move closer, but she battled with it. She had felt immense fear when she saw Rion being crushed to death; a fear she had never known or felt before, but what did it mean? She felt Rion's body slowly meld with hers and knew it wouldn't be long before her lips would touch hers. As she let go of her thoughts, she leaned forward and took Rion's lips before Rion could claim the victory. The taste was sweet and the touch, soft. A rush flowed through her and as they parted, Priss was almost sure she felt dizzy. Rion smirked with satisfaction, but betrayed a light blush.

"Well that's a first." Priss commented as she smiled at Rion. "I guess you already violated the contract."

It took a while for Rion to comprehend what Priss was talking about, but smirked as the contents of their business contract arose: rule #24 relationship between musician/manager must be kept professional. "You're the one that leaned in." Rion spoke with no shame as she laughed at Priss burning red face. "So you violated the contract; I'll overlook it just this once."

"Whatever…" Priss tried her best to be annoyed but it was useless trying, seeing as the smile she wore would not wear off.

"However I'm not coming to you as a manager, and I surely don't see you as a musician right at this moment." Rion took Priss' hand in her own and smiled. "Right now I'm coming to you as a woman, and what I see now is my other. If that's the case then the contract doesn't bind us."

"I guess so." For once in her life—Priss felt grounded and free to fly at the same time. She neither surrendered nor conquered; no white flag was raised, and the ravages of war nowhere to be seen—this was bliss, for now.

Author's End Note: I bit short, I admit, but I feel bad for not posting in a hell of a long time. Hope you enjoyed, please Review!


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